Yet another injury concern for Ireland.
Andy Farrell provided an injury update on Finlay Bealham after Ireland’s 34-20 victory over Italy in Rome on Saturday.
Ireland solidified their place atop of the Six Nations championship with a win over a much-improved Italian side on Saturday, although the victory has come at a cost.
Andy Farrell was already dealing with a greatly reduced hand going into the game. Front-line players Johnny Sexton and Tadhg Furlong were ruled out in advance of the trip to Rome, and Garry Ringrose picked up a calf injury just prior to the match.
Finlay Bealham was forced off in the first half of Ireland’s win over the Azzurri, compounding these injury woes. The Irish tighthead was aided off the field by the Irish medical staff.
The incident occurred during an Irish line-out move deep into the Italian half, in which the 31-year-old seemingly twisted his knee as he was tackled by an Italian forward.
Bealham’s enforced departure will be a worry for the Irish coaching ticket, who already lost Tadhg Beirne for the remainder of the championship following an ankle injury in the home win over France, which left the Munster lock requiring surgery.
Bealham carries into the Italian defence.
Head coach Andy Farrell offered an update on the Connacht front row.
“He twisted his knee,” the head coach told reporters after his side’s 34-20 victory,
“Obviously he went down straight away which says something doesn’t it. He tried his best to fight on but he’s in a brace in the changing room”.
“He says he’s fine but he always says that. So we’ll assess him again in the morning”.
Farrell accounted earlier this week that Tadhg Furlong was set to return to the squad for the trip to Murrayfield in a fortnight’s time. The Leinster tighthead, however, has only played 36 minutes of competitive rugby since the autumn internationals, so it would be quite the test to put him immediately back into the starting XV.
Bealham’s possible absence may be mitigated though by Tom O’Toole, with the Ulster prop delivering a fine display in which he won two set-piece penalties.
The substitute appearance in Rome’s iconic Stadio Olimpico appeared to be a coming-of-age moment of sorts for O’Toole, who just earlier this month stated that: “I’ve been in and around the squad for the last few years, and it’s time to step up, time to show that I’m capable at this level.”
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